Lately I've noticed that unless I rev the engine when I start it in the morning, that it cuts off. Any ideas on what the problem may be. Later today will be a "Max" work day for me, so any help would be appreciated.

Happy Holidays to all!!!

 

Your fuel injected engine has an Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor. This sensor sends a signal to the Engine Control Unit (the computer). When the ECTS sends a "cold engine" signal the ECU responds by instructing the fuel injectors to deliver a rich mixture. The rich mixture helps a cold engine to start and run smoothly during the warm-up period. This is similar to the operation of the choke on a carbureted engine.

There are other problems which cause cold starting and driveability problems, but the ECTS is the first thing to check. This can be done with an ohmmeter.

On the 4th Generation Maxima engine the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor is located in the water outlet tube close to the engine end of the upper radiator hose. There are two sensors in that vicinity. The one nearest the hose is for the dashboard temperature gauge. The ECTS, the one you're interested in, is adjacent to the the gauge sending unit. There is a good picture of these sensors in the Haynes manual on page 3-7.

With the engine cold, disconnect the ECTS and measure its resistance. Reconnect the ECTS, start the engine, and run it until fully warmed up. Stop the engine, and repeat the resistance measurement. The "warm" reading should be a much lower value than the "cold" reading.

The Chilton Maxima shop manual gives these specs:
Engine coolant temperature 68F, ECTS resistance 2.1 - 2.9 Kohms
Engine coolant temperature 194F, ECTS resistance 0.24 - 0.26 Kohms
(Roughly a factor of ten difference.)

The ECTS is a relatively inexpensive sensor and something the home mechanic can replace without special tools.